A new book published by Nordicom, Innovation Through Crisis: Journalism and News Media in Transition, revisits the tumultuous years of the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance our understanding of news media’s adaptability and resilience amid crises. Editors Ragnhild Kr. Olsen and Mona K. Solvoll explain that the research presented in the book is important to gain a deeper understanding of crises as both threats and opportunities for organisations and their businesses.
“This global health crisis has provided unique opportunities to explore and understand news media’s ability to respond to external shocks and create new and improved value for audiences, society, and their own business operations”, says Olsen.
Catalyst for innovation
The book provides insights into the interplay between crisis, resilience, and innovation within Norwegian news media. Through several rigorous empirical studies, it highlights how the Covid-19 crisis served as a catalyst for innovation, a critical test of resilience, and an amplifier of value creation. The editors highlight how the pandemic prompted urgency- and ambition-driven innovation in Norwegian news media.
“This research showcases how organisations rapidly adapted to the crisis using digital technologies and how they introduced new services, amplifying economic and social value creation while navigating the challenges to news workers’ well-being”, says Solvoll.
Unique Norwegian perspective
The Norwegian media landscape, characterised by digitally advanced news media organisations and situated within a well-functioning media system, offers a different perspective from the dominating Anglo-American research tradition.
“In contrast to commercial news media in countries facing more profound economic crises, Norwegian news media were notably well-positioned to handle the pandemic, providing a unique perspective of how news media generate novel ideas and address emerging issues in challenging times”.
“The book offers new knowledge on news organisations’ resilience strategies and their ability to create value for themselves, their audiences, and for the broader society during times of unprecedented uncertainty”, says Olsen.
Read the anthology Innovation Through Crisis: Journalism and News Media in Transition
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